Possible supply exploit in Russia?

[PvtBenjamin]

ORIGINAL: Sugar


Even serious wargamers haven`t the time to always get into every aspect of this game; especially if he has to track down every single patch note without updates of the manual.

...

Do us all a favour and publish a tutorial regarding all aspects of the supply rules including aircraft, scorched earth, ports, railroad connection, capital connection, industrial- and second-supply-centers, then we talk again.

I don't find the new supply rules that hard to understand. I certainly don't know every nuance but there is always the S button. There are some spots they could be tweeked IMO.

Given your exceptional knowledge of the game its probably more important to you to understand the exact workings of supply than me.

The new rules add considerably to the game for me, they prevent units pushing forward unrealistically irregardless of supply and limit large armies (airforce) in remote parts of the map.

Maybe they could please everyone and put the old version before supply changes (or new one without supply) in the community content so people could play that way if they prefer.

I'll go get started on my SC3 Supply rule youtube now.

[Sugar]

I agree the new supply rules are more refined and add to the subject, but the shere complexity is an issue as you can see in nearly every thread.

If you can manage to do the tutorial, I`m gonna add to your content if necessary.

[mdsmall]

Bill - I would like to help, but can you tell me how to take a screenshot and how to post it here? Also how can I turn off ithe Fog of War in a PBEM game?

[BillRunacre]

ORIGINAL: mdsmall

Bill - I would like to help, but can you tell me how to take a screenshot and how to post it here? Also how can I turn off ithe Fog of War in a PBEM game?

Ah, you can't in a PBEM game, all you could do would be to ask your opponent.

[mdsmall]

Bill - that will not be a problem. What do you want me to ask him? I can see myself by having a German unit next to it that the Russian town that should have a supply level of 3 has a supply level of 5. Since much of my strategy was used on cutting off Russian supply by cutting rail lines to their capital, I would like to figure out what is going on. How can I send you the info you need to take a look?

Michael

[BillRunacre]

I think we need to see why the unit at Vyshniy Volochyk has a supply level of 5 rather than 3, so a screenshot from his perspective might be best, at least based on the assumption that he might have something undisclosed by Fog of War, e.g. a HQ, that is raising the unit's supply level?

[BillRunacre]

Alternatively if you can give me the challenge id then I can download the file from the server and take a look.

[mdsmall]

That sounds much easier. The game is a 1939 Storm over Europe PBEM challenge between "mdsmall, DaDude". I hope that gives you the info you need to download it from the server and take a look.

Michael

[BillRunacre]

I've taken a look and the reason Vyshniy Volochyk is at strength 5 is that it isn't totally cut off from the rest of the USSR, whereas the pockets in the Caucasus are completely cut off therefore their urban resources have a maximum of 3 (ports default to 5 in such circumstances)

[mdsmall]

ORIGINAL: BillRunacre

I've taken a look and the reason Vyshniy Volochyk is at strength 5 is that it isn't totally cut off from the rest of the USSR, whereas the pockets in the Caucasus are completely cut off therefore their urban resources have a maximum of 3 (ports default to 5 in such circumstances)

Bill - I asked my opponent playing the Allies and he confirms that all of the towns he controls in northern Russia, including Vyshniy Volochyk, currently have a supply level of 5. This puzzles me a great deal as I have cut the rail lines to northern Russia at Vologda (as recommended by Pvt Benjamin near the top of this thread), as well as the rail line that connects Vyshniy Volochyk to Novgorod and to Moscow. None of these towns can trace a rail connection or a road connection to a Capital, Industrial Center, or a Primary Supply Center. The nearest supply source is Perm, now the Capital, which is 45 hexes away from Vyshniy Volochyk (and further from towns further north). The Soviet side does not have HQs in place that are boosting supply to these towns.

Section 7.14 of the Manual says: "All resources that do not fall into one of the above connection categories [ie by rail or by road] are considered cutoff and will maximum strength value of 3". The manual does not state that a resource also has to be totally surrounded by enemy controlled hexes in order to be cut-off. So how is it that the supply level of these towns is still 5 and not 3?

Separately, my opponent confirms that he is not able to deploy new units around these cut-off towns, which would be consistent with the rules in Section 7.12.2 that state that to build new units at any urban resource, it must have a strength of 5.

I would post a screen shot from my opponent's screen to illustrate all this but the file is too large.

Grateful for you explanation of this supply puzzle.

Michael

[BillRunacre]

Hi Michael

The key thing here is that they are connected via land hexes to friendly territory that is providing higher supply. I know that it's not explicitly stated in the Manual, but in situations like this they will have supply of 5, but if they are actually cut off (i.e. the Axis have broken a path between the resource and friendly territory with higher supply) then they will have a maximum of 3.

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Michael,

Just to add, the cutting of the rail line drops let's say the town supply from 8 to 5, then being completely cutoff, e.g. a territorial cut, drops it from 5 to 3.

[mdsmall]

Bill and Hubert - thanks to both of you for the definitive reply. Obviously, this applies to any supply connection to a resource anywhere the board, not just in Russia. And I assume it applies to the other Strategic Command games as well. Could I suggest that you clarify this in your next set of patch notes, for those players who will have missed the important conclusion of this very long thread.

Best regards

Michael